A devastating incident at a Nebraska ethanol plant has left one man dead and sparked a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his passing.

Authorities confirmed that 31-year-old Randall McElroy of Cushing, Oklahoma, died Saturday, August 16, after being discovered inside a fermenting tank at the Husker Ag Ethanol Production Facility, located just east of Plainview.

According to officials, Pierce County 911 dispatchers received an emergency call reporting that an individual had collapsed inside one of the facility’s tanks. Responders from Plainview Fire and Rescue and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office quickly arrived on the scene and located McElroy. Despite immediate life-saving measures, he could not be revived and was pronounced dead.

The Pierce County Attorney’s Office has ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Investigators are working to establish how McElroy came to be inside the fermenting tank, which is a critical component in ethanol production but also poses significant safety hazards due to limited ventilation and the presence of potentially harmful gases.

Authorities have not released details about McElroy’s employment status at the facility, and it remains unclear whether mechanical issues, workplace conditions, or other factors contributed to the tragedy. Officials have also not suggested foul play at this stage.

The death has raised broader concerns about workplace safety in industrial environments such as ethanol production, where the risks of confined spaces remain a critical challenge.

As investigators await autopsy results, the community and McElroy’s loved ones in Oklahoma are mourning the loss of a young man whose life ended in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner.